Conveyor and conveyor system

Abstract

A conveyor comprising a first profile unit (1) and a second profile unit (2), wherein the profile units comprise a support profile (10, 20) and a side profile (11, 21) that can be releasably connected to each other to form a composed structure whose cross-sections comprise lateral openings (12, 22), at least one conveyor unit (4) that can be arranged between the two profile units, wherein each conveyor unit (4) comprises a first side wall (40) and a second side wall (41), and wherein conveying elements (44, 45) are arranged between the side walls (40, 41), wherein the side walls (40, 41) can be releasably arranged in the lateral openings (12, 22) of the profile units (1, 2) to form composed structures with a closed cross-section.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A conveyor comprising
 a first profile unit ( 1 ) extending in a conveying direction (L) and a second profile unit ( 2 ) extending in the conveying direction (L), the first profile unit ( 1 ) and the second profile unit ( 2 ) being arranged parallel to each other and being fixed to each other by means of at least one profile crossbeam ( 3 ), wherein the first profile unit ( 1 ) comprises a support profile ( 10 ) and a side profile ( 11 ) that can be releasably connected to each other to form a composed structure ( 10 ,  11 ) whose cross-section comprises a first lateral opening ( 12 ) and wherein the second profile unit ( 2 ) comprises a support profile ( 20 ) and a side profile ( 21 ) that can be releasably connected to each other to form a composed structure ( 20 ,  21 ) whose cross-section comprises a second lateral opening ( 22 ), wherein the first lateral opening ( 12 ) faces the second lateral opening ( 22 ), 
 at least one conveyor unit ( 4 ) that can be arranged between the first profile unit ( 1 ) and the second profile unit ( 2 ), wherein each conveyor unit ( 4 ) comprises a first side wall ( 40 ) and a second side wall ( 41 ), the first side wall ( 40 ) and the second side wall ( 41 ) being arranged parallel to each other, and wherein conveying elements ( 44 ,  45 ) are arranged between the side walls ( 40 ,  41 ), 
 wherein 
 the first side wall ( 40 ) can be releasably arranged in the first lateral opening ( 12 ) to form a composed structure ( 10 ,  11 ,  40 ) with a closed cross-section along the first side wall ( 40 ) wherein 
 the second side wall ( 41 ) can be releasably arranged in the second lateral opening ( 22 ) to form a composed structure ( 20 ,  21 ,  41 ) with a closed cross-section along the second side wall ( 41 ), characterized in that 
 a first connecting element ( 100 ,  200 ) of each support profile ( 10 ,  20 ) forms a first positive locking with a second connecting element ( 401 ,  411 ) of the corresponding side wall ( 40 ,  41 ), 
 a second connecting element ( 111 ,  211 ) of each side profile ( 11 ,  21 ) forms a second positive locking with a first connecting element ( 400 ,  410 ) of the corresponding side wall ( 40 ,  41 ), and 
 a second connecting element ( 101 ,  201 ) of each support profile ( 10 ,  20 ) forms a third positive locking with a first connecting element ( 110 ,  210 ) of the corresponding side profile ( 11 ,  21 ). 
 
     
     
       2. The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the second positive locking comprises a tongue and groove connection, wherein one of the connecting elements ( 111 ,  211 ;  400 ,  410 ) comprises the tongue in the form of at least one web and the other connecting element comprises the groove in the form of at least two webs and wherein each web, in a cross-section plane perpendicular to the conveying direction, has the shape of a circular segment, having the same circle center point. 
     
     
       3. The conveyor according to  claim 2 , wherein the first positive locking comprises a sliding connection, wherein each of the connecting elements ( 100 ,  200 ;  401 ,  411 ) comprises at least one web and wherein each web, in a cross-section plane perpendicular to the conveying direction, has the shape of a circular segment, having the same circle center point as the webs of the second positive locking. 
     
     
       4. The conveyor according  claim 1 , wherein the third positive locking comprises a tongue and groove connection, wherein one of the connecting elements ( 101 ,  201 ;  110 ,  210 ) comprises the tongue in the form of a web and the other connecting element comprises the groove in the form of a bifurcated web. 
     
     
       5. The conveyor according to  claim 2 , wherein all webs are formed integrally with the corresponding profile. 
     
     
       6. The conveyor according to  claim 4 , wherein the third positive locking is spaced apart from the contour of the profile unit ( 1 ,  2 ) and wherein a slot ( 13 ,  23 ) is formed in the contour of the profile unit ( 1 ,  2 ) between the support profile ( 10 ,  20 ) and the side profile ( 11 ,  21 ) adjacent to the third positive locking. 
     
     
       7. The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the profiles and/or the side walls are made from metal, selected from the group of aluminum, steel and stainless steel. 
     
     
       8. The conveyor according to  claim 5 , wherein the conveyor further comprises at least one fixation element ( 14 ) selected from the group of hammer-headed or T-shaped nut and T-shaped bolt, which can be inserted into the slot ( 13 ,  23 ) and which can fix the side profile ( 11 ,  21 ) to the corresponding support profile ( 10 , 20 ). 
     
     
       9. The conveyor according to  claim 8 , further comprising at least one stand ( 5 ), each stand comprising two poles ( 50 ), wherein each pole ( 50 ) can be fixed to a corresponding profile unit ( 1 ,  2 ) by means of the at least one fixation element ( 14 ). 
     
     
       10. The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the side walls ( 40 , 41 ) of the conveyor unit ( 4 ) comprises a first section ( 400 ) and a second section ( 401 ),
 wherein the first section ( 400 ) of the first side wall ( 40 ) and the first section ( 410 ) of the second side wall ( 41 ) are fixed to each other by means of at least one conveyor crossbeam ( 42 ), 
 wherein the second section ( 401 ) of the first side wall ( 40 ) and the second section ( 411 ) of the second side wall ( 41 ) are fixed to each other by means of at least one conveyor crossbeam ( 42 ), and 
 wherein each second section ( 401 ) is hinged to the corresponding first section ( 400 ) by means of one of the conveyor crossbeams ( 42 ). 
 
     
     
       11. The conveyor according to  claim 10 , wherein the first side wall ( 40 ) and the second side wall ( 41 ) are fixed to each other by means of two conveyor crossbeams ( 42 ), that are mirror-symmetrically arranged to one another with respect to a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction, wherein each conveyor crossbeam ( 42 ) comprises an extension ( 421 ), which extends from a side face ( 420 ) of the conveyor crossbeam ( 42 ) and wherein the conveyor unit ( 4 ) further comprises at least one sliding plate ( 43 ), which abuts the side face ( 420 ) and the extension ( 421 ) of each conveyor crossbeam ( 42 ). 
     
     
       12. The conveyor according to  claim 11 , wherein the extension ( 421 ) of the conveyor crossbeam ( 42 ) comprises a pivoting axis (P). 
     
     
       13. The conveyor according to  claim 10 , wherein all conveyor crossbeams ( 42 ) have identical cross-sections. 
     
     
       14. The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor unit ( 4 ) comprises a driven idler ( 44 ), an idler ( 45 ) and a conveyor belt ( 46 ), which is arranged around both idlers ( 44 , 45 ). 
     
     
       15. The conveyor according to  claim 14 , wherein the driven idler ( 44 ) is rotatably mounted to the first sections ( 400 ,  410 ) of each side wall ( 40 ,  41 ) and wherein the idler ( 45 ) is rotatably mounted to the second sections ( 401 ,  411 ) of each side wall ( 40 ,  41 ). 
     
     
       16. The conveyor according to  claim 14 , wherein the conveyor unit ( 4 ) comprises a drive unit ( 47 ) comprising a drive ( 470 ) and a force transmission ( 471 ,  472 ), wherein the force transmission comprises a toothed belt ( 471 ) and a belt pulley ( 472 ), which is mounted to the driven idler ( 44 ), wherein the drive unit ( 47 ) with all its components are arranged within the first profile unit ( 1 ) and/or within the second profile unit ( 2 ). 
     
     
       17. A conveyor system comprising at least two conveyors according to  claim 1 , wherein all conveyors can work independently from one another.